Planetary Science Seminar

Titan, the only Solar System body other than Earth known to sustain stable surface liquids, has a substantial and dynamic atmosphere with a vigorous hydrologic cycle. I will describe recent efforts to understand Titan's atmospheric circulation and methane cycle with observations and general circulation modeling. Of particular interest are the frequency and distribution of tropospheric methane clouds, the latitudinal distribution of tropospheric methane vapor, and their connections to surface features. These have implications for understanding Titan's climate zones, and Titan's paleoclimate. I will end by discussing the relevance of Titan and its climate system to future studies of terrestrial exoplanets, particularly around stars cooler than the Sun.